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Most people seeking asylum are found to be refugees. Many people seeking asylum living in our community are working, however they face many barriers to finding secure, decent employment including restrictive visa conditions.

The Status Resolution Support Service is an Australian Government program to help people seeking asylum living in Australia meet their most basic needs until their claim for refugee status is finalised. It provided people in financial hardship with:

income support

assistance to access torture and trauma counselling, and

case management.

Many people who were on this program were already experiencing poverty, due to the meagre income support provided – 89% of Newstart, equating to $35 a day.

In May 2018, the Australian Government introduced strict, new eligibility criteria for the program which most people cannot meet. The Australian Government has removed the safety net and expects all people to gain stable employment to financially support themselves, despite the barriers they face.

These punitive changes come on top of decisions made last year that saw people cut off if the person:

studied full time (defined as 20 hours per week) regardless of whether the study enabled them to gain employment, and/or

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The Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) acknowledges and understands its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and recognises that all children and young people have the right to be treated with respect and care, and to be safe from all forms of abuse. BSL has a zero tolerance towards child abuse. Read the official statement signed by the Executive Director.

The Brotherhood recognises the harm that family violence causes and that freedom from violence is a basic human right. We will support our staff, volunteers, clients and the community if they experience violence.